Green man charged after getting high on bath salts

A “distraught” man who was punching his vehicle when deputies were called to a domestic dispute at his home was arrested. The man was accused of abusing harmful intoxicants identified as “bath salts.”

Lori Monsewicz

Deputies called to a home in response to a domestic dispute Monday arrested a 30-year-old man they found punching his vehicle.

The Graybill Road man had been abusing harmful intoxicants identified as bath salts, according to a news release from Inspector William Holland of the Summit County Sheriff’s Department.

Holland said the man, who admitted using the bath salts “over the past two days,” was treated at the scene by Green firefighter/paramedics before he was released into the deputies’ custody.

Summit County court records said he used Bliss Gold bath salts “to induce intoxication or similar physiological effects.” He was jailed on felony abuse of harmful intoxicants and two misdemeanor charges of child endangering, and held in lieu of $5,000 bond.

Deputies had arrived to find him “distraught” and punching his car, the inspector said.

People have been ingesting and smoking bath salts to get high. Police have said the substance, while legal, is being used as a hallucinogenic drug.

Deputies believe the man had been snorting the salts.

“We’re seeing more and more incidents where bath salts are being used, where people are becoming paranoid and hallucinating, and they’re losing motor skills after using them. It’s lasting a couple of days. It’s not something that goes away instantly,” Holland said.

“We’ve seen five or six instances of abuse of bath salts in the last couple months,” he said.

The age range is “all over the board,” he said. “It’s not any particular age group. As this gets more and more attention, it’s sparking more and more curiosity. It’s readily available, and possession is not illegal at this point.”

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.